by Rev. Paula Richards

Jesus Smiling #26/2014

Many of the spiritual texts I currently study claim that the source of their content is Jesus. I long ago stopped concerning myself about whether or not this was true, because the peace I have experienced from following the teachings has, at times, bordered on “the peace which passeth understanding” that scripture talks about. All of these texts say the same thing in different ways; that we are One, not just with each other, but with Jesus and with God. A Course in Miracles tells us that Jesus does not want our worship, but the recognition of our equality with Him. In The Jeshua (Jesus) Letters, a series of teachings imparted to Marc Hammer by Jeshua, Marc is told, “Is not so much that you are having an experience with Jeshua, but that you are. That was your lifetime.”

Most everyone I have ever known, myself included, has great resistance to the thought that we could be communicated to directly by Jesus. We have an even stronger aversion to the idea that we could truly be One with Him. Well I, for one, am growing weary of resisting the beautiful truth that is being shown to me. I am ready to begin looking at and embracing the truth. I know I’m ready because of what happened late Christmas Eve.

I was online researching Google Images when I suddenly remembered a recent conversation I had with a friend about how Jesus has been depicted over the years. Because of my childhood religious instruction, I often pictured Jesus being peaceful and loving, but never smiling. It occurred to me to Google “jesus smiling”. I scrolled down quickly to see how many rows of images there were when I was stopped by the sight of a very familiar face – my own! Right there alongside hundreds of pictures of smiling Jesus was the very same photo of myself that you see at the top of this blog. I was stunned. How could that be?!!!

I have no doubt that someone can give me a technological explanation for how my photo showed up alongside Jesus’, but the timing of it is too significant to ignore. I was ready to see the truth. And, what better time than on the eve of the birth of Christ. Technological explanations aside, I have no doubt that this was Divine confirmation that I am on the right track.